Deprived of Tim Hortons, parton arguing human rights violation

I like my Tim Hortons as much as the next guy (extra-large double double, please!) but man, it's getting more and more challenging to get that cup o' java in the morning. If it's not the packed drive-thru creeping along at a snail's pace, it's the sardine-can-like store front which has Tim Hortons patrons breathing down each others necks. Yet, I still wait; like many others I stand with about seven people way too close for comfort (PERSONAL. SPACE. PEOPLE. Gah!) patiently awaiting my morning coffee.

But, for some - the wait just got a little harder.

Dave Matthews, from Sackville, Nova Scotia is confined to a motor scooter due to a physical disability. He's been a regular patron of the local Tim Hortons via the drive-thru; but that's since been changed.

For the longest time Dave would drive his scooter through the Lower Sackville Tim Hortons drive-thru to get his coffee since the chair is just too large to be accommodated by the store. Dave says, "It would take three people to get me in. And I don't even know if I'll be able to turn around when I get inside. And, if I don't run over somebody inside trying to back this up, it would be a small miracle."

But that's just what he's going to have to do if he wants his caffeine fix from the new Tim Hortons location in Bedford because it has in place a company policy disallowing bikes, wheelchairs, pedestrians and motorized scooters - like Dave's - to use the drive-thru.

When CBC News investigated the issue a Tim Hortons spokesman, David Morelli, told CBC that it's a dangerous situation because sometimes drivers leave the window too fast. (Um. Here's an easy fix: SLOW. DOWN.)  Not only did Morelli say that it's dangerous for others not in vehicles to use a drive-thru, but he will also be reminding other locations of said policy.

Dave Matthews argues that this is a matter of human rights, and Tim Hortons has taken that right from him.

My take on this: if you're going to ban accessibility to the drive-thru for people in need of the space and convenience of driving up - be it a motor scooter or a wheelchair - then a company / location best be providing larger doors and room for maneuverability inside the store.

There's been many instances of gas stations, stores, fast-food locations and coffee shops blantantly disregarding the basic needs of customers with special needs because of a physical condition.

Gas stations often have ramps blocked off by ice machines, propane cylider cages, or shelves of windsheild washer fuild and oil. It's thoughtless and discriminatory, and I believe more people, like Dave, need to stand up for their rights in order to be heard.

Heck, we all should be standing up to help them.

As a mom with two young children and a stroller, I kind of understand how difficult it can be to manuver a huge cumbersome item down a strategically narrowed aisle. I know of the broken, slow and ill-concieved wheelchair accessible doors and the ramps going to nowhere. I get frustrated and irritated with these obstacles when I have the kids in a stroller, but I can't even imagine what it's like as a way of everyday life.

Which brings me to this: The Chair Aware Challenge. The challenge is to raise awareness for people confined to wheelchairs. The idea is for able-bodied people to spend just one day in a wheelchair to understand the difficulties faced by those who use them everyday. Interested? Here's where you can find more information.

I challenge Mr. Morelli - the Tim Hortons representative - to take part. Maybe then he'll understand why people are so upset with this discriminatory rule which, I too believe, violates human rights.

What is it going to take for us to be more tolerant?

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This is an original post to Canada Moms Blog. Samantha blogs regularly at her personal site, Temporarily Me, as well as at Craftastrophe!